Oswego and Syracuse Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | April 29, 1839 |
| Defunct | 1872 |
| Fate | Management transferred to Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad |
| Headquarters | Oswego, New York and Syracuse, New York , United States |
Key people | F. T. Carrington (President), Allen Monroe (Vice-President), A. P. Grant (Secretary), Luther Wright (Treasurer), George Skinner (Superintendent) |
| Products | Passenger and freight rail services |
The Oswego and Syracuse Railroad was founded on April 29, 1839, with its route surveyed during the summer of that year. The company was fully established by March 25, 1847, and the railroad began operations on May 14, 1848, spanning the distance between Syracuse, New York and Oswego, New York. In 1872, management of the line was transferred to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.
History
Among the oldest railroad edifices remaining in New York State is the 1848 freight house of the Oswego and Syracuse Railroad, situated in Oswego, New York on West Utica Street near the former DL&WRR station.
For many years, DL&WRR maintained its offices within Oswego’s Old City Hall, a three-story brick structure erected in 1836. This building served various functions, including providing an open third-floor space used for militia drills. A newer city hall was constructed nearby in 1871 to replace it.
By 1862, passenger services in Syracuse operated out of the New York Central Railroad station, where Arthur Hughes served as baggage master. The freight house was located west of the New York Central Freight Houses in the city’s 5th Ward and was staffed by freight agent P. Bassett and tallyman James Murray.
The railroad’s stops included Syracuse, Baldwinsville, Lamsons, South Granby, Fulton, Minetto, and Oswego.
Freight rail
In 1847, the New York State Legislature granted the Oswego and Syracuse Railroad Company permission to operate freight services upon payment of toll fees to the state.
Company management
During 1862, F. T. Carrington from Oswego held the position of president, with Allen Monroe from Syracuse acting as vice-president. Administrative responsibilities were managed by Secretary A. P. Grant and Treasurer Luther Wright, both based in Oswego, alongside Superintendent George Skinner.
The board of directors consisted of F. T. Carrington, Luther Wright, A. P. Grant, J. Turrill, and S. Doolittle from Oswego; E. B. Judson, Allen Monroe, E. R. Wicks, and T. T. Davis representing Syracuse; as well as R. H. King and H. H. Martin from Albany and M. Islam from New York City.
Syracuse, Binghamton and New York railroad
Following authorization by the New York State Legislature, the Oswego and Syracuse Railroad merged with the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad in 1853. In 1860, it collaborated with the New York Central Railroad to construct a station house in Geddes.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad
The DL&WRR took control of the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad in 1869 and leased the Oswego and Syracuse Railroad on February 13 of that year. This acquisition extended DL&WRR’s system with a branch line running from Binghamton through Syracuse to Oswego, an important port situated on Lake Ontario.
After assuming control in 1872, DL&WRR established its shipping office within the former Oswego and Syracuse Railroad hall at this Great Lakes port and retained ownership of the property until 1946.